Packers Hall of Fame Inc. Induction Banquet presenters announced

The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc. today announced the presenters for the 43rd Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, to be held the evening of July 20, 2013 in the Lambeau Field Atrium. Jethro Franklin will present former defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Craig Hentrich will present former placekicker Chris Jacke and Bob Bush will present former board member and team president Emil Fischer.

Franklin, who this fall will be in his third season as the University of Miami’s defensive line coach, oversaw the Packers’ defensive linemen from 2000-2004. He has mentored some of the top defensive linemen in the NFL throughout his career, Gbaja-Biamila being no exception. In 2000, Gbaja-Biamila was parked on the practice squad until Franklin, who spent the 1999 season with Seattle, made the rookie his project. Gbaja-Biamila, a fifth-round draft choice from San Diego State, played nine seasons (2000-2008), his entire career, for the Packers. Nicknamed “KGB”, he is the club’s all-time leader in sacks with 74½. Under Franklin’s instruction, the relentless pass rusher led the team in sacks five times, including four straight campaigns with 10 or more QB takedowns (2001-04), a club record. He played in 132 career games, with 78 starts, and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2003.

Hentrich, a punter who played with the Packers from 1994-97, played alongside Jacke and served as his holder. The two spearheaded the Packers’ formidable special teams that helped win Super Bowl XXXI. Hentrich set the Packers’ record, which still stands, for career gross punting average. Jacke,a placekicker who was a sixth-round selection from Texas El-Paso in 1989, ranks third on the club’s all-time scoring list with 820 points. He led the team in scoring in seven of his eight seasons, including three campaigns of 100-plus points. Effective from long range, Jacke had 17 field goals of 50-plus yards in his career, tops in team annals, including six in 1993, also a team record. He also holds the team record for most field goals in a game, five, which he accomplished twice. He played in 133 career games from 1989-96, including Super Bowl XXXI, and was an All-Pro selection in 1993.

Bush spent his professional career with Schreiber Foods, ultimately serving as chairman of the board. The company is the world’s second-largest cheese company, trailing only Kraft Foods. Bush has served on the boards of many community organizations, including the Green Bay Packers, where he is currently Director Emeritus. During his time on the Packers board, he met and became close friends with then-president Fischer and his family. Fischer became a member of the executive committee in 1935, served as president of the franchise from 1948-52, and was chairman of the board from 1953 until his death in 1958. He was a key contributor to the club’s success as he helped lead the team through crucial periods, including the NFL absorption of teams from the All-America Football Conference, Curly Lambeau’s resignation in 1950 and the important stock sale that same year.

Tickets for the banquet, which begins with the doors opening at 4:30 p.m. with a cash bar, and dinner and program to follow at 7 p.m., are $135 each. Tables of 10 also are available for $1,300 and are assigned in the order in which they are purchased. Early reservations are recommended. To purchase tickets, call Gwen Borga at (920) 965-6984, or e-mail her at gwenb@packershalloffame.com. No refunds are available 30 days prior to the event.

The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc. is a non-profit corporation independent of the Green Bay Packers that guides the Hall as a historic national sports venue and educational resource to the Green Bay community and the state of Wisconsin. The Hall raises funds through its annual induction banquet, Golf Classic and other events to develop new exhibits and expand its archives. Historic memorabilia donated by individuals to the Hall may qualify as tax-deductible gifts. For more information visit the Hall online at www.packershalloffame.com.

The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc. Golf Classic is set for Monday, July 8, 2013, at The Bull in Sheboygan Falls, Wis. Tickets are still available and can be purchased through Gwen Borga at (920) 965-6984 or gwenb@packershalloffame.com.

Originally established in 1967 as a temporary display in the concourse of the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena, the Hall moved into its own facility in 1976 near Lambeau Field. In 2003, it was relocated to a spectacular new, 25,000-square foot facility in the Lambeau Field Atrium. The Hall of Fame is open on non-game days from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hours may vary on game days and holidays. For more information, contact the Hall of Fame at 920/569-7512.